1997 Utah State Aggies football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1997
| team = Utah State Aggies
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Big West Conference
| short_conf = Big West
| record = 6–6
| conf_record = 4–1
| head_coach = John L. Smith
| hc_year = 3rd
| off_coach = Bobby Petrino
| oc_year = 3rd
| off_scheme =
| def_coach = Chris Smeland
| dc_year = 3rd
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Romney Stadium
| champion = Big West co-champion
| bowl = Humanitarian Bowl
| bowl_result = L 19–35 vs. Cincinnati
}}
{{1997 Big West Conference football standings}}
The 1997 Utah State Aggies football team represented Utah State University in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was led by third-year head coach John L. Smith and played their home games at Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah.
Utah State was co-champion of the Big West Conference, completed the regular season with a {{nowrap|6–5 record}} ({{nowrap|4–1
}} in conference), and received an invitation to the inaugural Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho. The Aggies were defeated by Cincinnati, 35–19,{{cite web|title=1997 Utah State Aggies Schedule and Results|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/utah-state/1997-schedule.html|access-date=October 2, 2017}} in their last bowl appearance until 2011. Smith left for Louisville after the season, and was succeeded by Dave Arslanian in 1998.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1997
| poll = AP
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = August 30
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Utah
| site_stadium = Robert Rice Stadium
| site_cityst = Salt Lake City, UT
| gamename = Battle of the Brothers, Beehive Boot
| score = 21–14
| attend = 33,804
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 6
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Idaho State
| site_stadium = Romney Stadium
| site_cityst = Logan, UT
| score = 41–7
| attend = 20,497
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 13
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Colorado State
| opprank = 25
| site_stadium = Romney Stadium
| site_cityst = Logan, UT
| score = 24–35
| attend = 22,097
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 20
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = New Mexico
| site_stadium = Romney Stadium
| site_cityst = Logan, UT
| score = 22–25
| attend = 15,112
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 3
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = BYU
| opprank = 24
| site_stadium = Cougar Stadium
| site_cityst = Provo, UT
| gamename = rivalry, Beehive Boot
| score = 35–42
| attend = 65,754
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 11
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Oregon State
| site_stadium = Parker Stadium
| site_cityst = Corvallis, OR
| score = 16–24
| attend = 23,210
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 18
| w/l = w
| opponent = New Mexico State
| site_stadium = Romney Stadium
| site_cityst = Logan, UT
| score = 38–7
| attend = 17,251
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 25
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Idaho
| site_stadium = Kibbie Dome
| site_cityst = Moscow, ID
| score = 63–17
| attend = 11,163
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 1
| w/l = w
| opponent = Boise State
| site_stadium = Romney Stadium
| site_cityst = Logan, UT
| score = 24–20
| attend = 18,205
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 15
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Nevada
| site_stadium = Mackay Stadium
| site_cityst = Reno, NV
| score = 38–19
| attend = 22,780
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 22
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = North Texas
| site_stadium = Fouts Field
| site_cityst = Denton, TX
| score = 48–51
| attend = 6,750
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 29
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| neutral = y
| opponent = Cincinnati
| site_stadium = Bronco Stadium
| site_cityst = Boise, ID
| gamename = Humanitarian Bowl
| score = 19–35
| attend = 16,289
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Utah State Aggies football navbox}}
{{Big West Conference football champions}}
Category:Big West Conference football champion seasons
Category:Utah State Aggies football seasons